Sharmila Slams Cong. for Ignoring SKC Report

Kakinada (East Godavari), Sept 14 (INN): Slamming Congress Party for ignoring the recommendations of Sri Krishna Committee that division of the state is not viable and it will spark protests, YSR Congress has said, the matter would not have come to such a pass had YSR been alive.

“YSR had stood like a shield between the demand and deed of separation of the State. He undertook development activities in all regions and steered Congress to victory against the combined opposition of TRS, TDP and other divisible forces.

His development plan was well received while the separatist ideology took a back seat. After his death the forces that do not want to see his legacy to continue and the forces that do not want a strong leader to emerge in the state of YSR stature are conspiring to divide the state for their political gains, Sharmila said while addressing a public meeting as part of her Samaikya Shankaravam here on Saturday.

Sri Krishna Committee that has toured the entire state for one year and has given its report against the division of the State was ignored by the Congress and has decided to divide the state for gaining seats in one region with the hope to see Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister.

While Congress under YSR term has been a role model state of Congress governance, the present Chief Minister, who was promoted by YSR, has been playing hide-and seek on the issue. While the NGOs are on strike the Government is sticking to its No work, no pay rule. We demand that the salaries should be paid to the NGOs immediately and YSR Congress expresses its solidarity with the NGOs on strike for a united state, she said.

“If this government fails to pay the salaries, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will be the next Chief Minister and the employees will get the salaries and one month bonus as well,” she said.

TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu had given a letter on October 18, 2008 giving his nod for the division of the state and the all forces that would benefit out the divided state and stand to lose if the state is united have come together to split the state without considering the sentiments of the people, she said.

Congress has decided to divide the state without considering the core issues of water sharing and capital formation. We get water only after the needs of the upper riparian states of Maharashtra and Karnataka are fulfilled. If another state comes in between where will Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar get water from?

The government has been announcing that it will accord national status to Polavaram but when a new state emerges how it will get the Godavari waters, she asked. We were asked to leave Madras and now wanted us to leave Hyderabad. We are part of the development of Hyderabad and building such a city in ten years is not easy.

With the share of revenue being high, the new state will be at a loss for implementing the welfare schemes and launching new ones as there will be financial crunch.

Chief Minister, who is aware of the developments beforehand, has maintained silence only to safeguard his post. Had he resigned immediately after the announcement of the separate state, things would not have come so far, she said adding that YSRCP MLAs and MPS had quit ahead of the CWC decision and wrote innumerable letters to Delhi to stall the decision.

Three parties, YSRCP, MIM and CPI (M) are opposed to the division while five parties, Congress, TDP, TRS, BJP and CPI are in favour of the division.

Chandrababu Nadu who has given the letter supporting a separate state is speaking as an integrationist. If he withdraws the letter he has written to the centre endorsing the division and quits the posts along with other leaders, his slogan for a united state will carry some weight, she said.

“YSRCP reiterates its demand that the State should be united as the Centre is unable to do justice to both regions. It has lost the moral right to divide the State when it cannot solve the issues.